Moving On
by MarcellusMiro66
Summary: "Moving on from a former loved one can be rather difficult for the partner of that loved one...especially when that loved one was a precious crush...who had moved on to your rival. Of course, with this crush being exactly that, his and her relationship never came to be. It was just a fling and nothing less." (Mentions of Penashi)
1. Chapter 1

__Hi, everyone,__ _ ** _MarcellusMiro66_**_ _ _here! This is a__ _ ** _Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero_**_ _ _story which (strangely enough) doesn't actually focus on the title character. Instead, it centers on two supporting characters from other dimensions. Like all great stories, this one is essentially a love story...with a healthy dose of stylized violence, strong language, and sexy situations sprinkled in for good measure.__

 _ _The two central characters are listed below:__

 _•_ _ ** _Blaze (voiced by Sean Astin)_**_ _ _: A charismatic and sought-after Flight School cadet who once shared mutual feelings with Sashi Kobayashi. Blaze then begins to develop a unlikely friendship/relationship for/with Deputy Amber Briggs.__

 _•_ _ ** _Amber Briggs (voiced by Olivia Holt)_**_ _ _: A clever-thinking rustler turned deputy who happens to be the daughter of Sheriff Scaley Briggs. Amber used to harbor a one-sided crush on Penn Zero, but then strikes up a fancy for Blaze.__

 _ _By the way, I would like to apologize beforehand for the seemingly rushed nature of the first chapter for those who see it as such.__

 _ _Enjoy! If you can...__

* * *

 ** _ _ **(7:00 PM)**__**

 ** _ _ **Year 0, Month 1, Day 1**__**

Moving on from a former loved one can be rather difficult for the partner of that loved one...especially when that loved one was a precious crush...who had moved on to your rival. Of course, with this crush being exactly that, his and her relationship never came to be. It was just a fling and nothing less.

He wished it was... _ _something more__.

When Blaze first saw the hints of Penn and Sashi withholding the potential to be a couple, he first shrugged it off but knew that he had to face the proverbial lights sooner or later. The relationship status of the two teenagers had not yet been confirmed in spite of their chemistry. His reaction to the news was...mixed, to say the least. 50% wanted to congratulate them both regardless, the other 50% wanted to blatantly deny this was true. True or not, it was clear from the get-go that the two high school teenagers loved, tolerated, and cared for each other. Even so, he loved her and she loved him...even if it was ever-so brief. As in the words of a wise poet: **__**"Parting is such sweet sorrow."**__**

Hence, the reason why he was in the bar at this moment.

Normally, Blaze was never a heavy drinker, let alone a drinker in general. As such, this could be considered a rare exception for him. It was a tequila shot in this case, his first to be exact. Because of this, he preferred to go alone instead of with his teammates, whom he assumed would never hear the end of this...whatever __"this"__ was. Dragons were no stranger to romance and quote "lovey-dovey" relationships, but saw it as nothing short of a dalliance that proved difficult to recover from. For most people (dragons included), love was considered the best thing in the world and also the __worst__ thing. By taking all the good feelings and bad vibrations it sent through the blood of many a civilian in the multiverse into consideration, it was rather easy to see why.

Plus, that song in the background did him absolutely no favors whatsoever.

 _ _Oh, not this song... Honestly, it could've been anything from__ _ ** _"_**_ _ ** _Spiderwebs_**_ _ ** _"_**_ _ _to__ _ ** _"_**_ _ ** _Virtual Insanity_**_ _ ** _"_**_ _ _. But no, it just had to be__ _ _this__ _ _song...__

"I take it you don't like this song, either?"

Blaze turned to find a girl sitting beside him. She was eyeing her shot glass quite carefully and quite meticulously; a sip was seemingly not made as of now. Of course, what shocked him was not the fact that this particular girl in the bar with him presumably understood what he was going through, but the fact that this particular girl in the bar with him...was a __human__ girl. The particular human girl had auburn hair, green eyes (he guessed), and a cowboy's uniform – complete with jacket, hat, and boots. Like him, a frown of contempt was plastered on her tired and weary face.

"And I take it you don't like the question I asked and expect you to answer, either?"

Blaze caught himself and almost didn't recover from the cowgirl's questions. "Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no! Of course not! I was just..."

"Debating on whether or not to drink your drink?"

"... Yeah."

"Same here." In that moment, the cowgirl decided to drink before Blaze realized something.

"Wait, aren't you a teenager?"

"Aren't __you__ a teenager?"

"... Huh. Touché."

With that, the two teenagers chugged down their first drink together and slammed their shot glass down in one swift motion. They repeated this action for the next shot. And the next shot. And the next... And the next... And the next until it was their 12th shot going on 13th.

"I'm gonna guess..." The cowgirl rubbed her chin inquisitively, "You're attempting to get over the loss of a loved one."

Blaze turned to face the cowgirl with a surprised look, "Uh, yeah...something like that. Only...she's not dead."

"That's not what I meant. You loved a girl, but she didn't love you back."

"Again, something like that. She __did__ love me, but...she moved on."

"Hmm. Well, maybe, so should you. Believe me...I have."

"Oh, really. When did that happen?"

"Just now, actually." Her 14th shot going on 15th. "You know, it's the nice, quiet, and gentlemanly types that attract the most girls. Especially the one I took a fancy to. Red hair, blue eyes, brown waistcoat – "

 _ _"They're__ _ ** _cyan_**_ _ _."__

 _ _. . .__

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's a shade of blue, ma'am. His eyes are cyan."

"Huh. Wait, do you know a fella by any chance with the name of – "

"Penn? Penn Zero? Yep. He's the reason why I'm here now."

For a moment there, the cowgirl nearly fell off her seat when she heard the rather poor choice of words chosen by the dragon. A usual case of misinterpretation, something Blaze realized __real__ quickly and waved his hands around in innocence.

"Oh, no! That's not what __I__ meant! What I meant was...Penn, he...somewhat stole my girl from me."

"... Please elaborate."

"Well, you see...Penn is a human like you and so is the girl I loved. However, they're also part-time heroes who help inhabitants from other dimensions. By doing so, their appearances change into that of the inhabitants. So, the day his team entered my dimension...was the day my feelings towards love changed. She loved me...and I loved her."

 _ _. . .__

"But she loved him more."

"Yeah."

"Sashi, was it? I figured. She and Penn had that special something that proved that they were meant for each other." The cowgirl understood how and why the dragon was hurting so. "Your love for her was strong, but not strong enough...for lack of a better explanation. Sorry."

"No, you're okay. I guess dragons and romance don't exactly go hand-in-hand."

"Or, in this case, __claw-in-claw__." The cowgirl lightly chuckled at her lame attempt to crack a joke before devolving into fits of giggles. Unexpectedly, Blaze couldn't help but laugh in amusement at her wisecrack and joined in with her. Soon enough, their laughter attracted the attention of the establishment's patrons, confusing some and concerning others. They eventually slowed and lowered their guffawing to a minimum, sighing and letting the silence settle in.

 _ _. . .__

"Wait, are you flirting with me?"

"Ha. What kind of a question is that? You already know the answer, hotshot."

 _ _... I do? Holy spitfire, I do...__

"Oh. I didn't mean what I said to be teasing, miss. I was just being...mannerly."

"You're doing it again... _ _sir__."

"D'oh! Do you...want me to stop?"

"Nope. In fact...you can keep going. If you want to..."

 _ _. . .__

 _ _Well, this escalated quickly.__

"Okay then."

By this time, the alcohol was working its inebriated magic on them, leaving them breathless. It was now five minutes to nine o'clock, reminding them how fast time flied when having fun. It seemed it was perhaps _**_too_**_ _ _much__ fun, as evidenced by the total count of their shots (I'm not saying anything, though; I lost count). Not knowing what to do, though, they were instead letting the drinks get to them as an all-too familiar song played in the background.

 _ _Seriously?__

 ** _ _ **("**__** ** _ _ **The Power of Love**__** ** _ _ **" – Huey Lewis and the News)**__**

 _ _Yes, seriously.__

Blaze and the cowgirl sighed in agitation as the song began playing again. One moment, they were both sitting down. The next? They were both standing up...and ready to dance.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm ready to dance...even though I don't know how to."

"... Neither do I."

"Hmm. I guess we're both ready, then."

And so for the duration of the song, every second was spent dancing their hearts like their lives depended on it...even if they looked like complete idiots in the process. They couldn't care less, though. They were two normal people having a good time like two normal people should...if one was a rustling cowgirl and the other was a dragon cadet. As per the course of a random dance sequence in an otherwise muted story, their impromptu rock boogie again attracted the attention of many a patron in the establishment. All of them (the engaged in the dancing included) were wondering if this was a bizarre dream that left little to the imagination. Alas, it wasn't, and when the song and their dance finished, their reactions were mixed. Everyone was undoubtedly confused, but they wanted to cheer for the "couple". When they did, the teenagers realized what they were doing and fled the establishment, but not before thanking the patrons for their perceived kindness in spite of their bewilderment.

"This was your idea, by the way."

"Duly noted."

. . .

"So...I guess I'll see you again sometime soon?"

"I...don't know. Maybe we will...when we get the time..."

"Oh, right. I'll see you, uh..."

"Amber. Amber Briggs."

"Alright. I'll see you again, Amber."

"Me too, uh..."

"Blaze. Just Blaze."

"Alright. __I'll__ see __you__ again, Just Blaze."

"What?"

"Again, a joke."

"Ugh, I fell for it again."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Huh." With that, Blaze bid Amber goodbye and began his walk back home. His wings were tired out after that random dance sequence. Speaking of which, his thoughts trailed back to the song. __Now that I think of it...it's not such a bad song. It just played at a rather inconvenient time. A time where I was...moving on from love, so to speak. Yeah, you were moving on from love...for 30 seconds or less. That was too quick, in my opinion. Besides, you barely know anything about this Amber, other than she's a cowgirl who's not from here. Where is she from, anyway? And how did she get here? You better keep that in mind when you see her again.__

 _ _I hope I see her again...sooner or later.__

 _ _More sooner than later.__

"Man... Parting is such sweet sorrow."

"Yes, indeed."

Blaze stopped dead in his tracks and turned to find Amber wearing a smug grin.

"What are you doing here?"

"You forgot your glasses, so I thought I should return them to you."

"Oh. Thanks."

"No problem. So...parting is such sweet sorrow, huh?"

Blaze didn't respond right away; in fact, he didn't bother responding at all. He was too distracted by Amber's blazing gaze. __Oh, that was a cheap pun.__

"I'll see you around, Shakespeare."

As he watched Amber turn tail and leave the scene, Blaze chuckled to himself before doing the same thing.

 _ _Yes, it is indeed, Amber... Yes, it is indeed...__

* * *

 _ ** _A/N_**_ _ _: I'm not proud of this first chapter. Hopefully, the other chapters will improve over time. In fact, I may consider rewriting or improving this one. But for those who are interested, I will continue on with this story and may add a timeline for these events in question.__

 _ _Honestly, while everybody sees Penashi as the popular couple, I like to experiment with other background couples (or "crack ships", if you will). For example, in addition to Amber x Blaze, this story may also include Matilda (Penn's crush) x Alex (the class president).__

 _ _So, until next time...__


	2. Chapter 2

**_(7:00 AM)_**

 ** _Year 0, Month 1, Day 2_**

 ** _BEEP!_**

Blaze woke up to find himself back in his home near the Dragon Flight School. His clothes (save for his jeans) were torn, thrown, and scattered all over the floor. Rubbing his head in pain, he groaned in that same emotion and glanced around. _How did I get here? The last thing I remember is... Oh, **her**. Amber... The girl who robbed me blind of my heart just like that last night. _

_. . ._

 _Wait...last night? Oh, shit. Drinking and dancing do **not** make a good combination. Although, I am grateful that it worked out for last night. Otherwise... I wouldn't have met the most beautiful girl you've ever seen...besides Condor. I mean...Sashi._

 _. . ._

 _Okay, now you're just overthinking it; besides, it's too soon. You just met Amber only yesterday. You don't know if she's interested in a relationship with you, romantic or otherwise. She seems like the...cynical, lone drifter type of gal. Even so, I would like to meet her again and get to know her a little better._

 _. . ._

 _Wait...are you supposed to be somewhere?_

Glancing at the clock, Blaze gasped in terror upon realizing that he was close to five to four minutes _late_. He would have to face the wrath of General Talon if he was, though. Hastily snatching up his clothes up and slipping into them, Blaze finally placed on his sunglasses and flew out of his house faster than a speeding bullet.

 _Ha, perhaps more than a speeding bullet..._

* * *

 ** _BANG!_**

Amber fired her 3rd Generation Glock 17 at a bunch of metal cans (and glass bottles) stacked in a row on her wooden fence. She never really understood the usage and construction of modern firearms. In spite of the lack of difficulty and easy-to-learn structure of said weaponry, she had gotten used to her time in the Old West that she was practically the living embodiment of it, not just because of her parents' doing. She hated herself for it – **_it_** being her childhood arrogance and questioning of her parents' ability to take care of their only daughter, her father in particular drawing a substantial amount of ire. He doubted his child's capability to keep up with him in his lawmaking duties, but she proved him wrong and more – the primary reason why she earned the position of Big Butte's newest deputy. Of course, nothing ever changed the fact that, straight from the get-go, Scaley Briggs very much loved and cared for Amber as much as he loved her mother.

Her father himself watched from their house. _Oh, Amber... Look at how much you've grown. I know how much it hurts to not have your mother watch you grow alongside you and me, but she wouldn't have had it either way. She went away to save you...and me._

The Sheriff's daughter herself had not yet realized that her father was watching her vent her frustration. Reloading her Glock, Amber continued to open fire on her targets until her practice made perfection. The frustration had increased ever so slightly, prompting her to reach her scoped Marlin Model 1895SBL as a means to increase her chances of hitting the bullseye. She cracked her neck and chambered a rifle shell before taking aim. _Time to go out in a blaze of glory..._

 _Speaking of Blaze..._

Amber's hard-to-read expression softened as she lowered her rifle. She bit the inside of her cheek, something her father noticed as he stood up straight. The Deputy blushed(?) as her deep, dark thoughts soon trailed off to the main target of her flirting. The dragon's well-being soon become something of a concern to her...for some reason.

 _How is he doing?_

* * *

 ** _BOOM!_**

The doors burst open, catching the attention of General Talon. The green dragon herself frowned at the acknowledgement of exactly what made the doors blast open – her best student. The purple dragon himself didn't bother to slow himself to a stop as he slid across the floor and crashed into a few tables. As half of the class winced in pain, the other half laughed in amusement. Apparently, the flight school's star student's current state of fluster was something of a commodity for them. General Talon, as official peacekeeper of the academy, could only rub her head in pity and march her way towards Blaze, effectively silencing her pupils in the process.

"Well, this is a first for you, Blaze."

"Yes, ma'am. Blaze would, uh...like to apologize for my...tardiness."

 _Out of breath?_ General Talon mentally asked herself as she helped him up. _But he's the school's best flier..._

"Oh, no need, Blaze. I would like for you, however, to give me an explanation on said tardiness."

"I, uh...was going out for some fresh air."

"Rough week?"

"Rough week."

The General nodded in understanding. "Are you okay? You seem a bit...off."

"... How off?"

"You look tired, you look scrawny, and you look...dejected."

 _Oh, man. Do you think she knows, Blaze?_

"It's...complicated. But don't worry, I've got it covered. I'll be fine."

Talon was clearly unconvinced by Blaze's halfhearted explanation, but decided against pressuring him to continue. "Alright then. I won't push you and intervene in your personal life. If you need help, though..."

Blaze nodded in reciprocation, "Yeah, I got it. Thank you, General." With that, he crouched down to pick up his sunglasses before he walked away, a sense of uneasiness accompanying him on the way out. Again, one half of the class held back any remnants of laughter while the other half looked on in sympathy, mentally chastising them. Talon sighed in pity once more as she returned to the front of the room to continue her morning pep talk.

* * *

 ** _DING!_**

Amber heard the bell toll, but paid it no heed. Believing that it was her father going about his usual obligations as Sheriff, she continued to fire upon her makeshift targets and improve her marksmanship in the process. Still, her frustration (despite it having diminished just a tad) remained ever so, a given considering for whom the bell tolls. As she continued her target practice, it unfortunately ended too soon when the rifle clicked empty.

 _Damn it. It's empty._

Placing down her rifle to reload, Amber's mind soon trailed back to Blaze.

 _Oh, come on, girl. Quit daydreaming. He's a dragon, you're a cowgirl. A cowgirl deputy at that. Honestly, a relationship between two different species couldn't possibly start and end well._ _What's wrong with you, Amber? You're usually focused on other things besides love. Ugh, the mere mention of that very word makes me shiver, and it no doubt would've had the same effect on Blaze. Speaking of whom, I wonder if he did too._ _Not Blaze, but Penn...for now. To be honest, the moment he and I met was the moment I developed a precious crush on him. Yes, it may not have lasted long, but it sure did leave an impact. It forever changed my perspective on love, and not the kind your family would normally give. Red hair, blue eyes, and a charming personality to go along with that appearance. Honestly, there was something to like...besides the fact he loved someone else. Indeed, this Sashi (or was it Sasha?) proved to be the primary girl for Penn's affections, proving that their palpable chemistry was nothing more than/nothing short of completely understandable._

She cocked the rifle and checked the sights. Placing it down, she took a seat on her porch and rubbed her head, removing her Stetson to wipe away any sweat she broke.

 _So why substitute Penn for Blaze as the apple of your eye? Again, you're two different species, and a blossoming relationship between both is certainly doomed from the start._ _Then again..._

 _It can't hurt to try, right?_

* * *

 ** _BOOM!_**

An explosion rang in the distance just as Blaze was leaving the school. Strangely enough, only he himself heard it. Shrugging it off for a moment's notice, he stopped dead in his tracks once the sound of gunfire settled in.

* * *

 ** _BANG! BANG!_**

Amber's ears perked up once again at gunfire raging in the distance, gasping in horrific realization. _Dad!_ She slipped on her Stetson before retrieving her reloaded 1895SBL and racing towards the town. The sight before her was truly a terrifying one: a group of masked and armed robbers were holding the town hostage. In the process of their ill-fated robbery, the timely intervention of the Sheriff prompted a short-lived Mexican Standoff that led to a long-gestated shootout. As much as her father brazenly denied any allegations that he was a blood knight who wished to get back in the action despite his age, there was no denying that his attempts to relive his glory days shone through his "web of lies".

Surprisingly enough, it worked out for the most part.

Not wanting her dad to get hurt, however, Amber took her sniper's position above a hotel and readied her lever-action rifle. Her ears perked up once more at the sounds of wings flapping from afar. Indeed, when she turned to discover the source of the wing-flapping, it was the subject of her irresolute infatuation who was responsible.

 _"Psst! Blaze!"_

The purple dragon heard the cowgirl's call and flew down atop the hotel's rooftop.

 _"Amber, what's going on? Are you okay?"_

 _"The town is under attack by robbers. What are you doing here?"_

 _"I heard the gunfire and explosions, so I decided to...help?"_

 _"Really? From that distance? In another dimension?"_

 _"Apparently, yes. I didn't question it because I figured it would take too long."_

 _"... Okay then. I'll believe that in the meantime. Right now...we have a situation."_

Blaze nodded in understanding and crouched down to Amber's level. He watched as the hostage-takers ushered their captives to their desired spots, dangerously waving their automatic carbines in the process. _Ugh, guns... I never liked them. They're weapons of mass destructions compared to me. From the beginning of my childhood, I was trained never to elicit physical violence unless the time was deemed necessary. However, in recent years...it seems it was too often for that time (or, rather, **those times** ) to occur. I curse the day I was born into the 21st century._

Amber's grip on her Marlin tightened ever-so-slightly when she witnessed a hostage-taker hold a little girl at gunpoint, her trigger finger getting a little itchy and in need of a scratch. Blaze saw too, and his teeth gritted in anger as he impatiently waited the inevitable to happen...which it did.

 ** _BANG!_**

It was Amber (and then subsequently her father) who instigated the gunfight. The rifle she had must've had to be loaded with 500 GR bullets, for the person whom she shot first (the hostage-taker who was more than willing to take a child's life) had the unfortunate distinction of being Amber's first victim, being blowing across the room and sent flying out the window. It was a given, however, considering the man would hurt _a child_.

The first gunshot led to the second hundred, as the deceased's fellow robbers instantly bolted from the bank whilst brandishing their weapons and duffel bags full of money. Having abandoned the hostages, they took cover amidst other establishments and wooden pillars. Sheriff Briggs drew his wooden-gripped Colt Single Action Army "Artillery" and began securing the captives with the help of his team. Meanwhile, Amber began to rapidly open fire on the hapless rustlers. They in turn returned the gunfire, but to no avail; no matter how many bullets they riddled the town's landscape with, the group was only that close to hitting their intended target(s). Blaze decided to come to the denizens' aid, swooping down and throwing punches all over the place. One by one, they all fell down before there were one. The last man standing took up his own Single Action Army and aimed it at the group of hostages.

Fortunately for them (and unfortunately for Amber), Briggs caught notice and leapt in front of them just as the gun went off.

 ** _"No!"_**

Amber leapt down from her sniper's spot and returned the gunman's fire. The back of his head spewed blood, which formed a puddle of blood as he collapsed onto the ground. Running past the corpse and to her father's side, she began to apply pressure to the wound and slowed the bleeding before the doctor arrived on the scene. As they both watched Scaley being led away on a gurney, Amber and Blaze soon exchanged uncertain glances.

 _Oh, Dad... Why did you do it? Why did you?_


End file.
